


Waiting for the Sky to Fall

by Ryn_Holt



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, G/T, Giant/Tiny, size shifting giant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26624665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryn_Holt/pseuds/Ryn_Holt
Summary: Bria is a bard, trying to make a living by going from town to town performing. On one fateful night she meets Pyotr and she is pulled into a world she had never thought she could.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. The Rainy Night

It was a miserable wet night when I reached the tavern. The moon was a silver faintly glowing behind light clouds. The rain was just letting up, that hadn’t helped with the fact I had been walking through hours of downpour just to reach this town. 

By wrist ached its pain slowly crawling up the rest of my arm, and my stomach felt ready to lose itself any second if I didn’t get something to eat. If I wanted to eat I’d have to earn it, my pockets were as empty as a temple during a bacchanal. 

I kissed my fingertips and raised them to the sky before pushing the door open to the tavern. 

It was a decent tavern, if not on the smaller side. The furniture was well made and clean, worn but still presentable. It smelled like beer and unwashed bodies but that was to be expected. It wasn’t like we were in the cities where people bathed daily. Patrons scattered across tables all farmers and work men. I grimaced slightly, not the type to appreciate fine art much less loosen their purse strings for it. 

I could be wrong of course. I could always be wrong. 

Not that it happened much. 

I made a bee line for the bar and to the man behind it. He was the best dressed in the room, under a stained apron he wore fitted clothes of muted purple and reds. Money to spare it seemed. I gave my most winning smile, pushing my hair out of my face. “Hello kind sir, I was wondering if you would allow me to let me perform in your most fine establishment?” 

He gave me a once over. Noting my soaked dirt stained, ripped and soaked clothes and my bandaged wrist. “You won’t get any coin from me bard, but it’s no skin off my nose if you do.”

“Understandable, thank you.” My smiled was much more strained than before. When I was turned around I couldn’t help my shoulders falling slightly. I chose the emptiest corner of the room. 

I unfurled my shawl from my hair stuffing it in my bag. I hummed slightly, realizing I wasn’t going to have time to properly warm up my voice. 

It was going to be fine. I was sure. 

My first song was a quick ditty about the Gods. It was the story of how the Nine divided the earth. It got a few glances my way but that was it. I moved onto a more bawdy song about a farmers daughter which was a poor choice I got more glances some guffaws but mostly scathing looks. My voice was strained and it keep cracking. I only had one more song in me before I hurt my voice too badly. 

I looked over the patrons some of the snoring into their drinks. I caught a trio pointing and snickering at me. 

If that was the way the wanted things. I pulled off my bag and left it on the floor. 

I started to stomp rhythmically, chanting an old prayer and heads started to turn. 

I payed them no attention as I started to move my footsteps rattling drinks on tables. 

I began to sing. “Eyes of gold, hands of hair and meat, the giants who wait for your sleep,

“The love the smell of blood, they wish to stomp you into the mud, 

“The men who live in the mountain,”

“Hide your wives, hide your daughters,” 

“They come, they come, the men of the mountain” 

As I moved across the tavern for a few moments I remembered why I chose to live my life like this. Eyes watched me, memorized by me, by my song. They forgot drinks and worries and focused only on me. The song is more about proper rhythm andenunciated than it is about vocal power. 

When I was done, I was happy with my work. Sure that they would show their appreciation. Two men gave a copper each and the rest turned back to what they were doing. 

I hated small towns. 

Defeated I slinked back to the bar and put my two coppers down. “How much is will this get me?” 

The bar keep looked down at me before slinging a towel over his shoulder. “How much do you want?” 

“A warm drink and dinner?” And spiced wine and a bath and a bed and dry clothes. 

“One or the other” 

I stifled a groan and pushed the two coins toward him. “Give me the dinner,” purposely leaving off the please.He scooped them up and put them into a pocket, he turned toward the back. 

Two more copper coins fell on the counter. “I’ll pay for the drink” a new voice said. 

The bar keep looked to me and shrugged turning away before I could say anything. “One dinner and warm drink coming up.” 

I turned toward the man who paid for my drink. The first thing that hit me was his height. He towered above me, and it was a wonder why his head didn’t brush against the ceiling. He was built solidly, like an oak. Dark brown hair that pulled up and away from his face. 

“Thank you” I started unsure of what to say next. 

He pulled at the chair next to me and sat down. “You’re welcome friend.” My eye brows rose at his forwardness. “You shouldn’t blame them too much you know.” 

“Pardon?” 

He jerked his head to the rest of the tavern. “Its been a bad winter, money’s tight.” 

I huffed. “If money is tight then they shouldn’t be drinking, they should be saving their coins.” 

He grinned and I noticed his green eyes for the first time. They looked as if they were built up of hundreds of tiny dots all different shades of green. It was like there was a forrest in his eyes. “You can’t blame a man for wanting a bit of comfort in dark times. You always sing, or do you do anything else?” 

“Of course I do” I snapped. “I was trained to sing and to play the lute.” I held up my hand and the other man’s smile faded. “I wouldn’t be just singing if I had another option.” 

“What happened to your hand?” He asked eyes still on the purple and brown bruises, still slightly swollen.

“A man thought my services included late nights. I got it for my trouble.” The barkeep came back dropping a meat pie and a mug of what smelled like spiced cider. Both me and the man nodded to him. 

I picked up the pie with my good hand and took a bite. It was cold and fatty and to my stomach the best thing I had in a month. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you or pry. I liked your singing but I can tell that its been awhile since you’ve had time to practice at it.” It was warm apologize and a glance to his face told me he was sincere. “My name’s Pyotr.” He held out his hand. 

I brushed off my hand and shook it. “Bria.” 

His smile returned. “That's quite a lovely name, got any good stories for me Bria?” 

His smile was so wide and earnest, I hadn’t seen one like in almost a year. It melted my cold heart too quickly. “Only if you have a few yourself.” 

I told myself it was worth it to have a reason to stay in the warm dry tavern. That was the only reason. 

We talked for hours. Pyotr was quick to laugh and it made him a good listener. He was quick witted as well, and I didn’t have to water down any of my stories like I normally did. He had good stories as well, mostly stories about him and brother. One story of how they tried to steal a cow, had me howling. I begged him if I could rewrite as a song and he said he’d be honored. 

He also paid for drinks which made all of the stories much more funny. When I was into my cups and I couldn’t help myself. I hummed softly under my breath as he told another story, and watched the colors around him change. 

He was outlined in purple. And if I wasn’t drunk I would have been more interested in that. 

With magic I see colors that surrounded a person. Most ranged in earth and jewel tones. They told me if the person was touched by magic in any way and what type. Most had none or slight earth colors showing something but nothing they could call on. The more intense and thick the colors the more intense the magic ability. Earth tones meant simple magic, little spells things for witches and mages. But jewel tones, like myself meant different more unique talents tied to a skill. Singing was mine, but for another it could be painting or farming. 

I had never seen purple before, not once in my entire life. But I couldn’t say anything. Magic was forbidden unless you were under the service of a noble. I couldn’t risk outing myself and him. So I brushed it off. 

By the time we were done it was just before dusk. I picked myself off my chair and thanked him for the wine and the company. 

“Where are you going?” He asked as I started to stumbled off.

“I’m going to go sleep all this off somewhere.” I said, slightly swaying as I stood. 

“Ah, I see, stay safe friend.” I waved to him before turning toward the door. 

“Hope to see you soon again friend.” I said. He said something but I was too far away to hear it clearly. 

The moon was gone, and sunset was soon. What I needed was somewhere to sleep. I cursed as I stumbled through the underbrush my night vision failing me. 

I stumbled around for maybe half an hour before I found a clearing. 

A loud yawn escaped me as I stretched out my arms. I started to pull out my sleeping kit, when a rush of birds flew above and away from me. I turned towards them spooked myself, just in time to see something rushing toward me. 

I raised my hands, stumbling back. Something pushed my legs out from under me and I fell backwards arms failing. 

Something encased me and my vision went dark. I was still on my back my handsstill failing hit something warm, something pulsing with life. My chest grew heavy as I looked my my sight returning. 

I realized what I was staring up at was two giants hands encasing me. 

My entire body went limp my head slamming into the warm flesh. Quicker than I would like to admit, I passed out falling into a safe dark place.


	2. Fear and Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today

I started to wake up, only aware of three things. The first was my shirt bunched up and pushing into my side. The second was the cozy warmth that encompassed me, keeping my mind sleepy and content. The last thing was the light that pricked at my eyelids. 

I turned over to my right side, a groan escaping like a broken wind instrument. I fidgeted for a second getting to a more comfortable position. When I found a good position I reached for my blanket so I could hide my eyes from the light. I felt against my side, not finding it anywhere. 

My heartbeat started to quicken bad memories pricking at the back of mind. I opened my eyes, praying that I’d see my campsite and my blanket laying in the dirt. Instead I found myself encased in a pink cage. 

I pressed a hand to my mouth, barely muffling the scream as I realized the shape of what keeping me in place. It was a giant hand. 

Pink palm above me, the lines in the flesh in sickening detail. The rest of the fingers surrounded me. 

It was only then that I thought to look down. I didn’t scream this time thankfully, as I identified the material underneath me was covered in cotton cloth and moving up and down. 

I was on a giant’s chest. I was trapped by a giant. The memories of what I thought was last night, I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep, came back in vivid detail. I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face into my body. Tears pricked soaked my pants. 

Prayers floated in and out of my thoughts. I should be praying, begging the Gods for mercy, but that had never stopped anyone from dying before. The Gods didn’t care about humans, they had made that clear. 

So, if I was going to get out of this it would have to be just me. 

I unfolded myself and peaked out the fingers that keep my under its palm. 

The Giant was on its back, the only part of its body that moved was its chest, slowly raising and falling. I stayed watching for what felt like an hour waiting to see if it would move. 

I couldn’t see the head over the curve of the chest so I had no real proof that it was asleep other than the fact that it hadn’t moved for a while. But it was possible that it was just waiting for me to move. Playing a sadistic game of cat and mouse with me. 

But I couldn’t let the thing wake up and lose my chance of escape. I pulled my scarf out wrapping it around my hair making sure that it was tight. I still had my bag thankfully. I would have been more screwed without it. 

I got on my stomach to crawl out between the thumb and forefinger, I took several false starts, fear making me freeze three times before I started on the forth. 

I got half way free before a snort caused my entire body to flinch. 

Without anymore warning than that, the giant sat up and I was thrown backwards. I screamed as I fell backward watching the sky getting bigger. 

I hit something and the wind flew out of my lungs. I closed my eyes after impact, the shot open again as I felt fingers wrap around my body. I was being turned upright. I tried to fight against the fingers, but my hands were at my sides. 

When I managed to bit one of the fingers, despite putting all the effort I could into it hurt my teeth more than it did damage to its skin. I was rewarded my a firm squeeze across my entire body. 

I started to shake, more tears now. This was how I was going to die. I waited for another squeeze or hot breath or a blow.

I squeaked when a finger poked me in the head. I opened one eye to see that the giant was now staring at me. I closed my eye again pulling my head away.

The giant let out a short burst of air. “Well, look what you’ve done, now we’re both awake.” 

If I was smarter I would have apologized but I stayed silent not wanting to take the risk of making it more mad. “Come on,” the voice, deep, male(?), it said through a yawn. “You can’t keep your eyes closed forever.” 

_Oh yes I can._

I took a breath trying to calm myself. I could deal with this. I needed to calm down. I needed to think rationally if I wanted to make it out this alive. 

I opened my eyes first, still looking away from him and slowly brought my eyes to his face. 

The face was sort of familiar, and gave me a brain itch. I pushed the thought away until I paid attention to the eyes. Green eyes built up of hundreds of tiny dots all different shades of green. 

My mouth fell open. “Pyotr?” It was a confused shriek. 

He yawned again and gave me a lazy smile. “Morning Bria,” he looked around noting the sun that was close to setting, “though I guess afternoon would be more appropriate.”

“Pyotr?!” 

He winced at my increased volume. “Stop looking so surprised. You know what I am full well.” 

“No I didn’t!” The panic was quickly leaving my words leaving only surprise and something else that I wasn’t sure yet.

“You sang that song about giants, and looked for my colors, I told you last night that I’d been seeing you soon?” 

“The song was a coincidence! And I was drunk most of last night!” I was shouting now. “And I had no idea what the hell purple meant!” Full shouting, and my hands trying to break free so I could gesticulate. “I had no idea you ginormous idiot!”

He had the decency to look sheepish, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh well, I thought you did. And I couldn’t have you running around and telling people about a giant.” 

“Well I didn’t!” 

He let down his hand and shrugged. “Well its a moot point now seeing as you know now. Besides,” he rose his hand again palm skyward. “Your just what I’ve been looking for anyway.” 

“What are you planning?” My voice was back normal, my vocal cords already beginning to hurt. It still had the same intensity as before, as I did my best to try and burn holes into him with my eyes. 

He opened his mouth, before grimacing and shaking his head. “I can’t tell you know, you’re definitely not in the right mood to hear about it.”

I started to shout again, vocal cords damned, when he started to talk again. “You have my promise that I’m not going to harm you.” 

“You don’t have the same from me,” 

He threw his head back and laughed, an angry and embarrassed blush covered my face and down my neck. 

“Oh well, looks like we have a few hours until nightfall might as well get walk a bit. It’ll give you the time to cool down.” 

I was about to tell him what I would do to his corpse, when moved and pulled out a bag. It was a leather satchel his size. Before I could do anything, he set me in the bag and quickly pulled the top over it as if I was a butterfly he didn’t want escaping. 

“I’m going to kill you!” 

He laughed again and picked up the bag sending me head over tea kettle into the other side of the bag. “Talk to you in a few hours.”


	3. Making good on threats

I had no idea how long I spent in his sack. For a while I tried to climb up the sides but even if I had been able to get over the swaying of the bag I only had one good hand. I crossed my bad hand over my chest and used the other to hang onto the side of the bag to keep me braced. I spent what it seemed like hours just sitting, just waiting for something to happen. 

The bag dropped and I nearly bit my tongue trying to bite down a yelp. The top of the bag flipped up and I looked up to see a sky full of stars. It was beautiful clear night first one in nearly a week. 

The hand reaching into the bag completely ruined the view. 

I should have bit him, but I wasn’t expecting to be gracelessly sent tumbling onto the ground, rolling on my side until I lost momentum. 

My wrist throbbed and they were tears from the fear that kept me in place. 

“Hey want to see a trick?” I looked up to see, Pyotr standing up tall. His bag was next to him set on the ground. He smiled when he made eye contact, he snapped his fingers, and he shrank to the size he was when I had met him the day before. 

The process was slow enough, that you could see it happening before you, but quick enough that as soon as your brain was starting to make sense of it it was over. 

My face must have been quite comical eyes the size of plates and and mouth wide open like a fresh caught fish.

His grin grew wider, bowing at the waist. 

In seconds my fear was burned from rage and opportunity. 

With a few quick strides I was across the clearing and running straight for him. He looked up a few seconds before impact, his hands were up, I relished the look of panic in his eyes. 

I hit him hard enough to send him on his ass. I reached to strangle him, wanting to choke the life of his stupid eyes. He was protesting and trying to push me off, I refused to be moved. 

He snapped and everything started to move. His neck grew until I couldn’t hold onto it anymore. He kept one hand on my back, it kept growing until it was nearly as big as I was, keeping me from falling. 

When he stopped growing I looked up at him, “You’re an absolute coward” I spat. 

His face was etched into a sad look, and for a moment I thought I imagined the panic on his face. 

“You could have hurt your hand.” His voice was the most quiet I had ever heard it. 

“You already did when you dumped me out of the bag! And your lucky that you didn’t do more damage with all of your man handling.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said, “about all of this.” 

“Not enough to let me go.” 

“If I could I would. Just give me tonight, hm? Let’s talk and maybe you’ll understand better.” 

“I doubt it.” My stomach started to grumble, followed by a stabbing pain. I needed to eat. 

“If you promise not to attack me, we can both eat,” Pyotr said.

“Fine,” I hissed. 

Pyotr, much more gently this time, sat me down on the ground. He didn’t right himself before he snapped again and shrank down to my size. 

He stayed still for a few moments watching me, before slowly standing up. He went to his bag which was still huge. He turned his back to me, and within a few seconds the bag was human size again. 

He turned back to me catapulted something to me. I yelped and dodged, only to realize it was a heavy scarf. I whipped back to him, seething. But he was as calm as ever. 

He pointed to his wrist. “For a sling, so you don’t have to keep holding it?” 

I picked it up the now dirt covered scarf between two fingers. “Is it going to change size too?” 

“Not once it’s out of the bag, it can’t grow on its own.” I shook it a few times watching the dust clouds from it and what it blew away from the ground. It took a few tries to make a knot but I was able to make a passable sling and wore it. 

It was uncomfortable digging into my neck. If I had been in the Capital I wouldn’t have had such an uncomfortable sling. 

A voice nagged at me that I should be grateful to have a sling at all, but it was very quickly out matched at the voice that reminded that I was kidnapped and had no chance at escape. 

“Food,” Pyotr, snapping me out of my pity down spiral. 

He held out a hunk of dried meat in one hand and a ripped off piece of bread in the other. 

I sat across from him plucking both from his grip. I sat crossed legged and focused on the food in front of me. 

The meat was incredibly salty, sending my tastebuds into shock. The towns that I had been passing through didn’t have money for salt. I hadn’t tasted anything this salty since I was back in the Capital. Another bite had me recognizing sweeter elements to the meat, it tasted like a cross between venison and rabbit. If I wasn’t breaking bread with my captor I might have asked what it was. The bread was a disappointment. Hard and completely plain. As I ate I wondered if the has used all the salt for the meat so there was none left for the bread. 

I focused on taking small bites of both, knowing full well what happens when you try to gorge yourself when you hadn’t been eating regular. I completely ignored the size shifting giant across from me. 

He was remarkably quiet. I wouldn’t have thought that good eating habits was something giants cared about. 

“So, how long have you been hiding your magic?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, life has been kind of going wrong side up lately but I'm fighting and working against it. Can't say when I'm going to post the next one sorry about that.


End file.
